Shadow Prince Hans
by morethanemployed
Summary: Hans learns a lesson in humility. He's cursed to be a dog until he can get a noble, fair maiden to save him. Will he put aside his bruised ego, or will he settle for vengeance. Maybe a beautiful, young queen can show him where he truly belongs. Based on the story "The Comb and the Collar." Warning! Iceburn, Helsa. deleted scenes included.
1. Chapter 1

A.N. Warning! Violence! Even towards animals! And lots and lots and lots of angst! No happy endings to be found here! Sooo... let's get started...

**Shadow Prince**

Home. Where was it? Did it even exist for him?

He growled out his frustrations; at Elsa, at Anna, at the blasted world as a whole. In a way, his anger seemed a waste. It's not like they did anything wrong to him. No, that was the worst part of all; he was to blame for just about _everything_.

"Why oh, why did I stop and gloat?" Hans sat irritably at the table. He peered at the ornate chess set he had already prepared. Yes, he was in prison, but there were some advantages to knowing his warden.

Warden Busby and Hans Westerguard had known each other for almost a decade. Their relationship had become a friendship during the latter's tenure in the navy. Busby's family owned an island whose primary purpose served as a prison. Captains could drop off pirates, mutineers, or political prisoners, resting safe in the knowledge that there was nowhere for the prisoners to go.

Indeed; the island was itself surrounded by jagged rocks, sharks, and metal wiring to keep people from taking a swim. Hans was in no real danger. His current accommodations were pleasant enough. (Although, it was no castle.)

Hans idly picked up the white queen. He'd always liked it, always chose white. A year ago, he'd played Busby...

(flashback)

"I go first!"

"Of course Hans..."

"Think you'll finally win one?"

"I doubt it! I just want to go home, friend. I can work and work, and work... but eventually, every man in the world just wants to go home."

(end flashback)

...Hans finished reflecting on the conversation that day. It was then that he'd decided to settle down. Find a home for himself. And, given his taste for power, he knew he was going to be a king. Hans had been out at sea for too long, seen what happened to men who didn't settle into a home. They became empty inside. Maybe it was too late for him...

He threw the white queen aside, to angry and confused about why he was so fixated on it. He was on this prison island until his family could figure out what to do with him. Not even _they_ knew where he belonged anymore.

There was a knock at the door. Hans felt something akin to regret for casting away the white queen. On this forsaken stretch of lifeless rock, he could use all the distraction he could get, and Busby, though unskilled, would play chess for **hours**.

_knock, knock, knock..._

Opening the door, Hans almost fell over from shock; it was not his warden standing there, but a haggard old woman.

"Please... please..." She groaned...

He slammed the door in her face and went back to his musings. The island was practically uninhabitable. Even pinnipeds avoided resting here. Vegetation was scarce, and the mountain was difficult to scale. The accommodations currently housing the prince had cost a small fortune to set up. (Considering how many royals got into trouble over-seas, it was a price that each kingdom was willing to pay to ensure their children were given decent quarters, even as prisoners.)

During his musings, it struck Hans as odd that anyone would be outside, let alone an old woman.

_knock, knock, knock..._

He opened the door again.

"I'm just an old woman, I know I'm nothing to look at, but please allow me into your home-"

"It's not my home," He cut her off with a wave of his hand, and slammed the door.

Now, where was he in those musings? Ah yes, his current residence.

_knock, knock, knock..._

**NOW WHAT?!**

"Please?" She said, "But consider the beauty of this rose..."

Hans rolled his eyes, "I don't care about beauty, really." He pushed the offered flower back to its owner.

"REALLY?!" The old woman transformed herself into a beautiful enchantress. She had long, gorgeous hair framing an angelic face. Her bright blue eyes were like stars on her face, which was molded to perfection. Her whole body held any audience captive, especially considering the captive that currently served as her audience.

Hans blinked for a second, a bit surprised, "...I've seen better."

The woman's eyes blinked, shocked, "Magic?! Or beauty?!"

He thought for a second for a diplomatic answer, but, (a.n. I love the guy, but let's be honest here, we know where he's going with this) being an arrogant jerk, decided to give his snarkiest, "Both."

Slam.

_knock, knock, knock..._

He opened the door again.

"I'm sorry," She intoned with just a _touch_ of sarcasm, "What was that?!"

Hans sighed, and walked away from the open portal, "I don't know why you're here, but I'll entertain you for awhile."

"Entertain me?"

He nodded. She took this under consideration, and walked in.

"So... you just go around asking princes if they want flowers? Doesn't that make you a bit of a stalker?"

"I'm trying to teach them lessons."

"About avoiding salespeople, no doubt," Hans inclined his head caustically.

"So, if not beauty, what does interest you?"

The young prince's eyes went blank for a moment, recalling a single moment when he first laid eyes on...

"Power. Power interests me," Hans cleared his throat, "Is that what you wanted to know?"

Her eyes narrowed, "Oh, you're one of _those_. Well, it has been awhile, and I did lose the comb that went with it, but..." from behind her back, the enchantress withdraw what was the greatest piece of craftsmanship Hans had ever seen. If he spent all the money in the Southern Isles he may be able to make something of the like.

"This," She stated dully, "Is a collar of **great power**," Noticing that she had his attention now, the woman continued, "It makes even the greatest of men as obedient as mere dogs."

"Yes!" Hans greedily watched the collar. It had six different kinds of precious stones, cut perfectly, interwoven with gold, silver, and platinum.

"And I am giving it to you," She stated, handing it to him. Hans' eyes light up.

"It's mine?"

She nodded.

"For free?"

She nodded again, "If I may so ask; what do you want to do with it? What's your goal?"

Hans lifted himself, allowing her to put it on him, "No real goal; revenge, glory," he paused, feeling a rumbling in his stomach, "and bacon."

She laughed merrily, "And bacon you shall have. A word of warning; love not what the collar does for you, but what you can do for others. Only a fair, noble maiden may remove this from your neck."

It fastened with three clicks.

_click, click, click_

Hans immediately felt the power of the collar coursing through him.

"Whoa..." It was like fire. He pulled against it, making sure it would not budge loose, "Men like dogs, huh? Kind of pathetic."

"Oh, I don't know about that. Dogs are nice creatures; loyal, compassionate, and loving." She glared in his direction, "Make you think of something, your highness...?"

Hans closed his eyes to let the power take him over, "Yes! Oh yes! I'd like to- ugh!"

He doubled over as his stomach convulsed. A weaker man would have lost his lunch, "AH! AH! Aaaaah!" What before was a fire-like feeling quickly morphed into a burning sensation, "You've cursed me!"

"You've cursed yourself!"

Hans doubled over, his spine snapping and rearranging itself. His teeth screamed in pain as they lengthened and sharpened. To his horror, his fingers grew into sharp talon-like claws. The man twisted and turned, knocking over shelves, books and the chess set as he struggled to embrace the loss of his humanity.

"NO!" Rushing to a mirror, the young prince watched as his handsome face warped with a snout. He ripped off his clothes as his new body was formed.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOW!" He screamed/howled. Hitting the ground with a thud, Prince Hans Westerguard of the Southern Isles had finished transforming into a wolf-like dog.

The enchantress was gone.

"What was that?" A familiar voice called.

_Busby!_ Hans thought. He shook his furry head and focused on saying the name.

"Ruh-ree!" he howled. Without a human mouth, Hans was now rendered mute. The place was a mess; overturned furniture, smashed glass... it looked like an attack.

Warden Busby and Prince Gunther burst into the room.

"What the-" Whatever curse Hans' older brother was about to share with the group was cut off as his eyes landed on his kin.

Hans shifted nervously. Everything was... new, different, explosive, unnatural. Colors had faded but smell, was- oh, wow, could he smell. His nose was like a fine-tuned machine, snuffing out the air around him.

Warden Busby let out a low whistle, "Where did you come from, you great beautiful beast you?"

Hans snorted; this was why 'beauty' was a pointless, it lay much in interpretation.

Out of the corner of his mouth, Gunther mouthed, "He's one of yours, right?"

Busby shook his head, "No, but what's that around his neck?"

Simultaneously, both of the men realized the price the prince was carrying. They pounced. Hans, never one to give up anything, ran between the two. His brother latched onto him, getting dragged along. After the two bounced off a couple of walls, the human Westerguard remarked, "It's stuck! The blasted thing is broken or something!"

Busby produced a short sword, "I'll take care of this...!"

Speaking softly, he approached the beast, "Hey there, beautiful, I don't know how you got onto my island, but I guarantee you, that tomorrow the prisoners are going to eat well..."

To make matters even further confusing to Hans, the new body came with a new mind. The dog part of him was calming down (finally) leaving Hans to realize what the big oaf was implying.

_Oh no,_ Hans thought to himself, _this prince is **nobody's** dinner._  
Waiting for the last second, the hound bounded for the intruder's leg, snapping onto it with force.

"Yaaaah!" Busby was sure his leg was snapped in half. He dropped the sword, screaming, "Guards!"

Seeing back-up coming, Hans fled, leaping away from his friend and brother, and past two guards, through a window, and over a cliff.

Gunther rushed to the window.

The warden hobbled up, "Is it gone?"

Gunther nodded.

"...doesn't this change the plan?!"

Gunther shook his head, "No... now, prepare yourself to capture Hans' queen." The prince walked to the fireplace, and picked up the white queen, "It's almost a boon to Hans that he won't suffer through what we were going to do to him..."

A.N. Dun dun duuuuunn! Read and review please!

This is based loosely on the fairytale; The Collar and the Comb

Read and review for a chapter.


	2. Chapter 2

Hans fell and fell and fell. The ocean was so far away. In a sense, it had been his home for years. Of course it wasn't _really_ his home. No, no... he'd lost his home; been kicked out. He'd been told that he had to go and serve the nation because people were to be inspired by their princes. So, like an obedient son, he went and spent years of his young life miserable.

The wind rushed through his hair right before he hit the surf.

On a cliff-side nearby, the enchantress watched, bemused. this was not the first prince that she'd sorted out, nor would it likely be the last. Men often needed... incentive to do right. Her duty, really, was just to balance the power between royals and subjects, and men and women. She smirked at the problem Hans now faced; how could he kill the girls without staying a dog, and how could he kill them without staying in a disguised form?

Prudence instructed that she walk away. After all, observing her mark so closely sometimes led her to intervene, a storm here, a branch on the main road there... that was the extent of her interference. If Prince Hans died trying to escape custody would that be so 'wrong'?

Still, she watched breathlessly as he hit the water, silently praying to God (What? Enchantresses can't be religious? Grow up) that he survive. After all, near-death experiences often did _wonders_ to improve the attitude of way-ward princes.

For long seconds nothing happened. The Enchantress kicked up a storm, letting the violent waves heighten the danger, and the chances that Hans would be swept out to sea. Just as she was about to give up (hope) on him, a small furry head popped above the surface for a split second before going under.

She allowed herself a small smile.

Prince Hans, on the other hand, was in a panic. In a new body, competing with a dog mind, he found himself **thoroughly** confused. Which way was up? Which way was down?

For a second, the chill fingers of death swept over him. They reminded him of other, nimbler fingers that were far colder...

His head burst above the surface of the water. He inhaled as much as he could, stifling the choking panic.

_Get up, get up, get up and swim._

He chanted an old sea shanty trying to get his tail in gear. Hans chided himself for being so weak. Without proper shoulders, he had to go back to the very first technique he learned;

The doggy paddle.

Oh, if his ex-navy compatriots could see him now! Using such a basic form to just stay alive in such brutal weather. But, it worked. His head broke through the surface as he was swept out to sea. He took another mouthful of air, and another, and another. After climbing to the surface the tenth time, he managed to stay afloat.

His doggy mouth huffed out his breath as the adrenaline kicked in again. He paddled for all his might. If his brother or the warden caught him, he was shark chow. And so he swam and swam, and swam, for hours.

Back when he was first told he would be volunteering for the navy, his brother's were told to teach him how to swim. Their lessons always broke down to one primary goal; endurance.

He had to go and go and **go** and go and _go_ and go and go.

The sky gave no indication of time, so after awhile it seemed like he'd been swimming for days. There were no rocks in sight, no pleasant sandbars where he could rest. Even with his new-found animal endurance, Hans found it almost impossible to keep going. Finally, the dog gave up. The canine part of his mind stopped struggling and let itself collapse, ready to die.

_No, we have to keep going, we have to get back to her!_

It didn't matter to him that he was unsure exactly what he would be doing when he actually got _back_ to **her**, but he knew he would enjoy it for as long as it lasted.

Home.

The feeling in his stomach that he belonged in Arrendelle grew stronger and stronger. He used that to motivate himself.

_Just keep swimming, just keep swimming... _He hummed to himself. More time passed. The world boiled down to waves and weariness. Hans would paddle up one wave and down another. He was terrified that, when he turned around, he would see the shore of his prison, and that he had spent this whole time exhausting himself for **nothing**...

_Elsa..._

Hans shook his head. Why did she keep appearing in his mind? It's not as though they spent too much time together; and the time that they did have he was busy manipulating her. Still, something about her was just... amazing. Powerful, yet vulnerable.

_Home..._

After another eternal-seeming stretch, Hans gave up. His legs refused to budge. His human mind, as well as his dog-brain, were both exhausted. The line between reality and dreams blurred. The dog wanted food, warmth, and a home. Hans something similar, but in the background a white-haired-angel-

_NO!_

Hans refused to give up. Even if he couldn't keep going, he could hold his breath, angle himself in waves smartly. He tried to keep himself awake and alert, but he kept dreaming of Arrendale in spring.

Finally, after hours, and hours, and hours, and hours... he gave up.

_Elsa..._ He finally admitted, _I'm... soooorr-_

The world fell away as the waves crushed him down under the surface. Fish swam idly past him.

_Hooome... I want a home..._

The fish darted quickly, trying to get away... from what? A shark? No, worse. A net. The rope ensnared the fish, and a bit more.

Somewhere in the darkness of the dreamworld, Hans found himself delivered from darkness into light. Freezing waves to warm sunlight.

He gasped loudly, coughing out the water. He and the rest of the catch were dropped unceremoniously on the deck.

"Well, well, cap'm," Said a sea dog, "Looky what our catch is? I heard of a catfish, but a dog fish?" He laughed wetly. Had Hans the power he once held as captain, he would have had the man walk the plank for such a stupid joke. Instead, he lay there weakly.

Someone poked him. Hans groaned at the indignity.

"Whoa! I think it's alive!"

"Nooooo!"

The captain came down and fished Hans out of the pile, "Beaut' ain't he?" Hans coughed out more water, "And a fighter!"

The dog was dropped to the deck. Hans knew that his survival depended on what happened next; any captain worth his sea salt knew a crew member, no matter the flesh he was wrapped in. As the captain returned to the helm, Hans followed him as upright as he could.

"Look at that! He's like your shadow!"

The captain laughed at that, "Yeah! Shadow! I suppose we could keep him around a bit. We could feed him some scraps..."

Hans moaned; scraps of rotting fish, when did his life become so glamorous? Still, he was on his feet... until he collapsed.

"He ain't looking too good, Cap'n. Think we should put him out o' his misery?"

"Naaaah! He looks like a huntin' dog for some nobleman..." The captain got a glimpse of the collar under the build-up of sea slime and fish guts. He leaned down and tried to remove it. No dice, "I'll just take 'im home to Sofia, tell that brat to get 'im healthy again... then sell him."

Another indignity. Hans swallowed hard. He had to remind himself he wasn't just an animal; he was a prince. And someday he would come back to these men as their king.

"Let's get home boys!" The captain, who, apart from fish, smelled strongly of liquor, hollered, "Drinks are on me!" The boys cheered.

"Yeah!" screamed the sea dog, "Home! To Arrendelle!"

A.N. Oh no!


	3. Chapter 3

Hans/Shadow lay around the house uselessly for days. He hated himself. And he hated how pathetic he was. Granted, as a ship's captain, he knew that shipwreck survivors needed water and rest to recover, but this time the survivor was _him,_ and that made it insulting. He wanted to feel powerful.

Then there was the issue of little Sophia.

Fortunately, Sophia was a total sweetheart. She was a small brown-haired girl with big blue eyes. Her hands were a bit rough, but still kept some baby fat.

As pathetic as the situation was, she kept him alive by keeping his drinking-bowl filled and helping him shift when he got sore. Hans, though unaware of it, was beginning to change. The weakness he felt, and the support he received were slowly beginning to thaw his icy heart. No more did he view himself as an assassin in enemy country. Sophia's small shack was beginning to feel like home.

"Here ya go, boy," She chirped, "I know how dogs like carrion!"

Hans sniffed the disgusting offering with distaste. He'd had the finest meats since he could cut his teeth. And now he was reduced… to this?! Still, the dog part of his mind didn't, well, mind, and swallowed the offering of (bird?) whole.

Ew.

Hans swallowed. Sophia patted his head, "Good boy…!"

He let out a low growl.

_I most certainly am not a good boy! If you only knew what a bad boy I really was!_

No doubt as a citizen of Arrendelle, Sophia knew the infamous Hans. Certainly **_she_** would have made a big deal about him; the queen. Hans' mind wandered to the woman in white, pursuing a fantasy he was none-to-proud to have. In a way, he was embarrassed that right now, he just felt like hugging her even though he no longer had hands. Also, if she got _her_ hands on _him_ he would likely be strangled to death. The idea that Sophia may not recognize his name bothered him. It was a matter of pride, after all, that people fear or respected him.

Still, Sophia's soft hands were reassuring. He felt safe and secure. For a brief moment, Hans let down his guard.

But for only a moment.

Sofia's step-father arrived home, "Sofie! Where are you?"

Hans could smell the booze from his spot on the back porch.

_Listen to me, kid,_ he thought, looking into her ice-blue eyes, _don't go, I'm begging you, don't go. You don't know what could happen to you…!_

Sophia hugged tightly to her Shadow. Then her father screamed at the top of his lungs, promising her a red behind if she didn't appear soon.

"I gotta go, boy, stay here, stay!" She got up and left.

_Yeah, like I'm going to take orders from a little girl,_ Hans thought to himself, _I'm Prince Hans Westerguard of the Southern Isles. No mere girl can command me!_

He rose onto his front legs. Then he lay back down.

_…__once I get my breath back, I will ignore what you're telling me to do._

His breath huffed with difficulty. Voices came from the front yard, one loud and angry, the other quiet and scared.

_Sophia…!_

"Ah!" The scream of a young girl pierced the air.

_Noooooo!_

Without thinking about it, Hans scrambled wearily to his feet. He felt better than he had in days.

_I don't need anybody to baby me!_

He ran to the front yard. Sophia was on the ground clutching her face. Rage filled Hans as he leapt between the two figures, growling. His animal mind just took over, protecting the young girl. After a second, though, Hans regained control.

_What am I doing? I just put myself in a dangerous position!_

Unfortunately, the drunk noticed the dog, and kicked him out of the way before using Sophia as a stepping stool. Hans/Shadow yelped with pain.

_Well, that was stupid of me._ Hans thought some unkind things about the captain, namely how long it would take to chew through his neck.

Sophia was sobbing on the ground. Regardless of what he may have thought about women previous to this, something about her there… affected him. She as just a little girl. The dog part of his mind took control, going to his master to lick her face.

She stopped crying.

"Oh, Shadow, I wish some prince would come along to save me," She sighed. That put a dagger right through Hans' heart. Here he was, angry, swearing vengeance at the captain, and this poor girl needed a prince and he was…. Powerless.

_Someday_, Hans swore, _I will return and take you far, far from this life._

Hans curled up beside her, waiting for the girl to calm down. She grabbed his fur, getting ahold of herself. Hans watched the gentle courage with admiration. Finally, she lifted her head, "Dad actually brought food home."

She revealed a piece of bread smaller than her hand. There was no way that was enough to feed her, let alone both of them. Still, Sophia split it in half.

"Here boy," she said smiling, "Go on, eat up."

Hans/Shadow guiltily gobbled it up, hating himself more than he ever had. He could no longer see people as pieces on a chess board; they were living, noble creatures with more to them than he gave them credit for.

_Click._

Shadow's ears perked up, registering the sound. Hans immediately recognized it; it was the collar! She could loosen it! He could be free!

_Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on,_ Hans silently screamed, _just… two more clicks and I'm free._

But instead, Sophia went back inside, leaving a very disappointed puppy behind.

_Sofia, please, I swear on whatever oath I can still swear on; I will save you from this if you'll just free me…._

A.N. Looks like he's making_ some _progress. By the way, I publish based on how many reviews/favs I get.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter the Next

Hans accompanied Sophia to the downtown market. No stranger could tell that the red mark on the left side of her face was caused by the same man who should have been protecting her. Hans was feeling much better. With a little food, water, and care, he had recovered quickly enough.

"Hear ye, hear ye!" A town crier called for attention. Sophia stopped right next to Hans, "It has been made known to our beloved queen," Hans didn't realize his mouth went up into a little smile as that word came out, "And our precious princess that **Hans,**" The crowd gasped audibly. This could not be good news, "Has escaped custody."

A large woman to his right fainted. Gasps of shock, hate, and disgust ripped through the crowd.

_Don't everyone congratulate me all at once,_ Hans thought wryly. Of all the indignities that he'd suffered the past few days; being turned into an animal, being attacked, almost drowning, eating fish-guts, and road-kill, and needing _a little girl to protect him_, this still annoyed him. He was a master strategist. And not one person could appreciate the planning he went through to overthrow the kingdom? Come on!

"What's going on?" Sophia asked a husky woman nearby. Hans sat to listen; it was important to gauge the reaction of the crowd, plus, it would be interesting to see an adult try to explain what happened to a child.

"A… monster is loose," Sofia gasped at the news.

"Don't worry, Shadow," She tucked her arms around him protectively, "I'll protect you."

Hans/Shadow swallowed nervously. _You've got nothing to worry about._ He wanted to say, _I'll protect __**you**__!_

Instead, he sat there silently, allowing her to brush through his fur. The dog part of his mind loved the attention, especially when her hands got that spot right below his jaw. Hans was… not okay with it. It felt weird, too comfortable. He was not a dog; he was a prince. And princes did not ask for ear-scratchies. Nor did they beg.

The town-crier continued, "Warden Busby, and Prince Gunther are vigilantly searching. Their security forces are on their way already!"

Hans' ears perked up. _Already?_

Yes, he'd been gone for over a week now, but the reaction time here was… rapid, more rapid than he had counted on. While he was near the castle, Hans decided to sniff out his enemies. Keeping his nose to the ground, he left Sophia while she was distracted. He didn't want to get her involved in mauling a head-of-state.

And he was going to maul her. Whatever softer feelings Hans had for Elsa, he knew he had to set them aside. That was what made people weak; love. After considering the issue, Hans had come to the realization that he didn't _want_ to kill anybody. Even as a captain he had never cared for the sight of blood. But if he had any chance of going home… he had to kill the sisters. He had no choice.

"I say we kill the witch outright," Muttered a thug Hans trotted past, "Won't know what hit her; I've bludgeoned a few girls in my day. They just stare at you in shock…!" He made a face mocking them. Hans paused, listening. It disturbed him to think of Elsa as dead. Sure, it's what he wanted but… she couldn't go through something incredibly violent; she'd done nothing to deserve it. She just happened to be in his way.

Still snuffling, Hans/Shadow came to rest at the booze-drenched boots of Sophia's step-father. He hackles raised unintentionally, but the prince knew better than to draw attention to himself.

"Naw, naw… you're all wrong. Some _very_ powerful people from out-of-town want this girly dead. She's got these freaky powers, so you gotta-" Whatever his plans were, they were interrupted by Sophia as she came running up to ask her father's permission to go see the princess.

Hans got to his feet. Finally, a chance to end this. He got to his feet, waiting for the captain to give into those crystal-blue eyes. The big man sighed, "I'll see you boys at the dig, okay?"

He turned to his daughter, "What?!"

"I want to go see Princess Anna and Queen Elsa!"

Hans' eyes went wide when he heard where and how her father wanted to see the sisters. Even Hans found it quite rude.

_That's your daughter, sir! _Hans huffed. Not that it was his business. Still, the man relented and was dragged to a meeting area. Shadow scented the air; roses… and frost. Sophia bounced up and down with excitement.

The town crier got up once more to announce the arrival of the queen, "Hear ye, hear ye, Queen Elsa and Princess Anna are right now trying to sort out the mess Prince Hans has created," Or not… "Therefore, today's meeting is cancelled!"

The crowd let out a collective groan.

_Oh yeah, _thought Hans sarcastically, _that's the worst thing I've ever done._

"I tell ya, that Hans sure comes in handy," the captain laughed petting his dog, "If he could get rid of my property taxes, I'd worship him!"

Hans didn't find that very funny. Sophia was heart-broken she couldn't meet her idols. She had gone on and on (much to his chagrin) about how much she admired the two of them. (Of course, he had been recovering at the time, so it's not like he could get her to shut up.) And now her dream was ruined. Because of him; because of Prince Hans.

"Beautiful animal," Said an almost-familiar voice. It belonged to one of the castle's workers. He work the official insignia of the Arrendale royalty.

Hans, though he would not like to think about his reasoning, allowed the dog-brain to go over and comfort Sophia. It's not as though he cared to be complimented on how he looked as a canine anyways.

"You could own him, you know?"

That got Hans' attention. He wasn't quite ready to leave Sophia. As shameful as he found it, she was his friend, and he wanted to repay her for protecting and caring for him.

"Eh…"

"Soph! Show the man my dog."

_Your dog? I'll show you, your dog!_ Hans growled. Still, when Sophia called him, he came.

"He can do lots of tricks!" she squealed, delighted.

_Uh... what now? Tricks? No, no, no, no… I am a prince; I don't do tricks. Unless those tricks involve murder. Now, __**those **__tricks I'm good at! _Hans swallowed his annoyance. Then again, if he was sold (another indignity) maybe Sophia's dad might have enough money to actually buy her real food.

"Sit!" She commanded. He sat. Inside, Hans was 'going to his happy place', trying not to think about the fact that he was now a circus act. Strike that, even a circus act was more important than him now; it would get a crowd.

"Stay!"

_Easy enough._

"Speak," she commanded. _If only I could, I'd give you a piece of my mind, buddy. _"Speak!"

_Fine,_ "ruff…"

"Up!" He bounced onto his forelegs, "down!" He went back down.

"Play dead!"

He actually threw in some acting here, acting wounded, collapsing onto the deck, howling in pain, then gasping out his last breath.

"Sooo…. A drink in exchange for him?" Asked his new owner. _One!?_ Hans raved internally.

"Are you kidding me?!" The drunk raved, "That was about two drinks worth!"

"Fine!" And so, once more the dog traded hands.

_Good, very good, _Hans thought, _get me onto the castle grounds, take me to your leaders, let them fuss about how nobody can find Prince Hans and…_

His trail of thought was cut off as he realized he was on a sled getting further away from the castle.

_Hey! You're going the wrong way!_

"We're going home, boy," Said his new owner, "I'm not thrilled with the name 'Shadow', but, we'll see. Anyways, that's Sven, and I'm Kristoff. Welcome to the family."

A.N. Poor, poor Hans...


	5. Chapter 5

Kristoff took Hans deep into the mountains, almost as far deep in as the ice castle had been.

"Welcome home," He said cheerfully. Hans trotted up to a half-completed home. It was a bit junky, but, if it was home...

_Home..._ Hans thought to himself, feeling sick. He'd just started to used to Sofia, and now here he was, plucked away again. Kristoff went on about having a girlfriend, and how he wanted to start their life together up here. He pulled a line of rope with a stake attached out of the sleigh.

_Aw, no you don't..._ Hans thought, _so help me Kristoff, if you attach that blasted thing to me, I will hunt down and maul all of your descendants! I will serious mess you up!_

Ten minute of wrestling later, Hans was tied down in the man's front yard. Another insult to his pride. He put it on the list of things to complain about the next time he saw the enchantress.

_If my brother's could just see me now_ he thought to himself, _what would Anna think, me tied up to some yokel's home? Pathetic._

As days passed, he became increasingly irate. It was bad enough that he had to live like a dog, but it was worse now that he was isolated from anyone of sufficient culture.

Kristoff was a country hick; no excuses. And worse, he was **a blasted smart one** too. He knew to tie up Hans, and to check on him constantly, rewarding good behavior, punishing bad, and controlling the food rations. It was just like being in the navy, really.

He was a good master, but Hans was growing impatient. Troops were landing in Arrendale, Sophia was still under that brute's roof, and Elsa...

Hans shook his head. Now was _not_ the time for that. He had to get out of here. His homesickness was getting worse. It took him only a couple of days to adjust to life around the cottage.

Outside the wooden fence was a definite no-no zone, but inside he was allowed to roam around. There had been a confusing couple of hours when Kristoff insisted on following around his pet waiting to clean up after him, only to discover that the dog knew how to use an outhouse. That had been awkward, but funny.

Even more concerning was the peace Hans found. Away from the prison, away from the drunk captain, away from the allure of the crown... was a calmness the young prince had never realized he craved. The chill mountain winds held no salt like the ocean. The only salt in the whole area was an abandoned mine, but Kristoff insisted he would never go into the salt business; he preferred ice.

Peace... was difficult to fight. Hans' anger felt distant to him now. What was a crown compared to the glory of the mountains? And (assuming Sophia freed him) what of murdering two girls? It's not like that would undo the blemish on his name. Little by little, the dog gained control over his actions. He became relaxed, allowing its natural love of fun to comfort him.

He felt at peace, at home, and surprisingly well-adjusted. The enchantress' warning about not getting too comfortable rang in his ears. But... it was hard to resist. As a prince, he would never inherit the throne, nor, likely, marry into one. But as a dog, he found something he'd never had before; a place to belong.

Shadow had it better than Prince Hans.

It had been almost four days since he'd been sold, and, finally, something interesting happened. Kristoff was running about his house, nervously preparing for someone's arrival.

"She's coming, she's coming!" He yelled, "Where are the pancakes?!" he smooshed his head against Sven, "I don't have any pancakes ready! I don't think I've ever actually _had_ pancakes ready ever!"

Hans watched the thing with a growing sense of condescension.

_Please, you're trying too hard, man. Be cool; let her come to you. Women like a man in control. Be assertive, but allow her to express herself._

He snorted in disgust, walking away. If he were human, this would be easier. Kristoff was a mess. He'd even forgotten to tie Shadow up. The dog-brain was fine with that, but Hans was between two worlds; revenge and peace.

His choice had been made for him, really. He swore to save Sophia, and... he wasn't going to ignore a promise to himself. After leaping the fence, the dog trotted away from his new home.

_Seem like everywhere I go, I lose my home,_ he thought to himself. The wind picked up carrying the smell of fresh flowers and cream.

_Whaaaat...?_

His eyesight was poorer as a dog, but the blurry figure approaching the cottage was one he was... intimately... familiar with...

**_ANNA!_**

Hans snarled, and raced up to her. The world slowed as he leapt into the air, aiming for her throat. For one, brief second, he saw the shock and fear cross her face.

Right before his jaws clenched on soft flesh. He ripped and tore at her ferociously, all that anger and shame and pain coming coursing back into his mind.

The hate overcame him. But not the dog. It was confused. This was home, and she was an intruder. Why was there no barking?

**Thud**.

A couple hundred pounds of reindeer collided with the dog. Shadow got up, snarling. It was time for human ingenuity. He feigned left, dodged right, went between the legs, and leapt for Anna's throat again. She was so busy clutching her arm, she didn't see him coming.

But Kristoff did.

The air sounded with the swish of a leather whip. The ice-man had no need to use it on Sven, but he saw what was happening, and decided to test its strength. Shadow/Hans screamed in pain, but got a good hold on Anna's foot.

"Kristoff!" She screamed.

Swish, thwak, swish, thwak.

Blow after blow landed on the dog.

_I have to end her!_

The world went dark as Kristoff and Sven T-boned him.

_Nooooooo!_


	6. Chapter 6

Hans awoke in a cupboard in the house. He felt empty and hollow. Why did that woman have to ruin _everything_?! This was his home now, and she just came along, again, and took it away...! Being locked in the closet made its way onto the list of things to blame the enchantress for.

But at least he got back at Anna, right?

...right?

He was surprised that it didn't feel any better. He thought that when he finally got his revenge, he would finally be happy. Instead, it was like he had a hole in his chest that could never be filled. Anna was moaning in pain.

Kristoff said, "You can't blame him. He was afraid of you."

"Him?! Afraid of me!"

"Well... yeah. This is his home, and you scared him."

"That dog is a demon! Why is the hound of hell guarding this cottage?!"

Kristoff laughed, "Well... I was going to surprise you with this place- as for the 'demon dog', his previous owner was abusive."

"That doesn't make it okay."

"No... but he does have a good heart. He's just... just go some wrong thinking. Take it easy on him."

Hans swallowed guilty. The rest of the conversation petered off into Kristoff talking about his new job; hauling dirt from the mines.

"I don't see why anyone would be so interested in salt deposits. And what's worse is that the mines themselves are randomly built. It's really easy to get lost."

Hans tried to piece it all together; what did an ice salesman like Kristoff have to do with an abusive sea captain? Sophia's step-father worked halfway between Arrendale and... the prison islands. What profit did he have in excavating mines? And how could building a salt mine help bring down Elsa?

Kristoff and Anna said there goodbyes. Afterwards, she spent hours trying to relax herself. Hans spent it alone, in the dark, reflecting on what he'd done. Whenever he pondered revenge in prison, or while he was drowning, he thought that it would bring him some degree of happiness, or at least, release. Instead he felt trapped by his own hate.

Anna stopped by his door.

_So help me, if she asks me to build a flippin' snowman...!_ Hans thought grumpily.

"Years, and years and years agooo...

I remembered- but a dream...

Quiet voices, lots of fun,

Different from what I've seeeen.

This world is scary, I know...

And nobody is quite what they seeeeem.

But if you trust me, I'll give you one-

reason to hold onto your dreams."

_IS SHE SERIOUSLY SINGING RIGHT NOW?!_

She continued on for awhile about how she hoped for love, and a place to belong.

And that he was welcome at that place.

_Great, another reason to feel guilty. _The dog hung his head sadly.

Finally, he fell asleep.

...

..._crash._

Hans awoke with a start. His superior canine hearing picked up movement outside of the cottage. The dog part of his brain decided to start barking crazily. Anna awoke too.

Hans wrestled for, then won, the mental wrestling match with the dog. He stopped barking and listened. Voices, male... angry!

_CRASH!_

Hans bolted up. He wasn't imagining it. As bizarre as it was, he now felt (gah) _concern_ for Anna. If something happened to her... Kristoff would be crushed.

_You better not come in here or...!_

"Hey! I think I heard something in here!" A very foolish thug opened the door. Hans came flying out, ripping at the man's throat. And this time, he didn't miss his target.

Warm blood splattered the floor. Hans snarled, _who's next?!_

Another goon came, then another. They drove him into a corner, but the dog fought them viciously.

_I'll take you all on! I'm not afraid! This is my home, and I won't ever, ever, let anyone-!_

Hans looked up from ripping at one of the thug's hand to see a member of the intruding group put him into the crossbow's hairs.

_thwang_

The bolt hit its mark. Hans howled as it ripped through his borrowed flesh. The man with the injured hand stumbled to his feet, then kicked 'Shadow', punting him through the air.

He yelped out his pain. The dog's small body flew across the room, and into the closet, toppling the suitcases onto his bloody form. The last sight he had was of them laughing, and dragging Anna away.

_Noooo...!_

He was powerless... blood leaked out of his body from the arrow wound. Extreme pain kept him fully conscious, aware of the instrument stuck in his flesh.

**But he was alive.**

Not that he wanted to be, but he was. And he didn't want to think about _why_ he was alive; Anna, at the last second, had thrown off the man's aim. He owed her his life after he'd... Hans let out a moan. He just gave up at that point. After betraying her, then trying to kill her, she'd saved his life.

As he lay in the closet under reindeer-smelling luggage, he thought of heaven; a beautiful crystal palace with cool, clear air. An angel watched over those who entered there, who long, white locks stood still as a calm, calm sea.

Hans figured he was going to hell though.

A.N. As promised, one review, one chapter. However, if you're here for Helsa, worry not, it's coming up in future chapters!


	7. Chapter 7

(a lone road at the bottom of the mountain, a mysterious woman stops a kindly stranger...)

"You're a long way from home to be making another trip tonight," She said coyly.

_By power of the prince's,_ the enchantress swore to herself, _I cannot believe how much I'm interfering in this story. I mean, yeah, sure, I'll whip up a dramatic storm, or leave a magic mirror, or a glass slipper, but this? This is getting out of hand._

Kristoff, being thicker than an evergreen tree, didn't think much of it, "Oh ma'am, I work for my money. Doesn't matter to me if I get home at sundown or sunrise. I believe in hard work and sacrifice."

She suppressed her groan. Hans was dying. Anna was in criminal hands. But for this to work, the people had to _choose_ their own path, and then pay the consequences of their actions. What if she'd simply killed Hans as a baby? Or removed Elsa's powers? She wasn't one to play God to the mortals; no point to living if she decided for people who's good, who's evil, and what path they should take.

Even if she knew the correct path far, far, far better than they.

"I-I-I-I..." She was loosing steam, "May need some help getting down this mountain is all...!"

**By the power of the prince's** did she hate playing the weak female. It wasn't so bad around evil men; they revealed their wickedness and she turned the tables on them. But people like Kristoff often overcompensated by-

"Here," he said, picking her up, "I'll take you down."

Then, ignorantly ignoring the perfectly good sled, he proceeded to carry her down, slamming her face into every pine tree on the way.

It wasn't very pleasant.

_The things I do for others..._ she thought wryly. Still, she asked to be put down when they were in sight of his home.

"I'll get you in a sec, just gotta check on a coupla animals!" Kristoff puffed, out of breath. The enchantress smirked. Anna certainly qualified as an animal... The man called to the house for his girlfriend, then his dog, but received no answer. He went closer and tried again.

She almost felt bad when he slumped in shock.

"Oh no... noooo!"

She did not miss the droplets of tears soaking into the snow. This, this was one of the worst parts of all her stories; when there was a tragedy, some kind of misunderstanding.

"ANNA! SHADOW! PLEASE!"

No doubt, Prince Hans would be blamed. The enchantress disappeared, allowing the young man his privacy to mourn.

Her heart stung. Yes... she had a heart. After all those happy endings, how could she not? Still, it was hard to watch moments like this. What if her interference had been too late? What if Busby-

She stopped herself. It was **not** her job to fix every 'ouchie' or 'boo-boo' in the universe, heck, she created some of 'em. But it still hurt her to see others in pain. Hans was suffering. He had been (reluctantly) holding onto life for hours, in agony. She could have healed him, or killed him out of mercy. But the story wouldn't have meant very much if she took control of his destiny.

He had to learn what it was like to have people attack your home, take Anna from you. Leave you to die. He had to understand the sin of brutishness. He had to grow.

Still, it was times like this it would have been nice to be mortal. To simply put an arm around someone, and tell them _why_ bad things happened to good people. But she couldn't. That was out of her territory. All she could do was point them in the right direction.

Sven came running to the cottage at his master's call. He screeched to a halt and Kristoff loaded a furry body onto the vehicle.

_Good, now show him how a man **should** act in the face of evil._ The enchantress relaxed her shoulders. Maybe one or two more pushes, and Hans would understand how to love others. Especially...

She sighed.

It would be so much easier if he would just admit that everything he'd done was to get to Queen Elsa, but, like a lot of men before him, he refused to listen to his heart. It was a useful trait at times, but more often than not, men simply shut themselves off from the world, and tried to control it without a sense of compassion or love.

But there was hope; Hans was alive.

For now, anyways.

A.N. Please read and review. Want him to die yet?


	8. Chapter 8

Hans lived in a dreamworld between heaven and hell.

Distantly he could hear a voice, "He's alive!? What is that dog made out of?"

In the hellish world, he thought he'd been found out, and was slowly losing strength, while being tortured for his crimes. Dozen crowded around him to watch his suffering.

Heaven on the other hand...

"Stop. Let me see him.'

"Your highness please, this is no place for a lady."

"..."

"Yes, your majesty."

A soft glove lay on the furry flank opposite the area of the wound, "What is his name?"

"Shadow."

"...Shadow? No... it's not quite right," Her delicate fingers wove from the dark hair on his back onto the light snowflake-shape fur on his stomach, "He's far too- noble."

"Quite the prince, isn't he, your highness?"

"Yes... prince. I like that."

Hans liked it too. The doctor took him into a private room in the castle, and, in a moment of agony, split heaven from hell.

"Yooooooowwwwlll!" The bolt was removed. Outside, in the hall, Elsa bit her lip nervously. At the howl of pain, she split it, drawing a small amount of blood. Kristoff put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"She's just fine..."

"You don't know that," Elsa clutched her hands to her chest. Sounds akin to crying came through the door.

Kristoff said, jokingly, "I know that Anna can take care of herself. If I kidnapped her, I would return her within hours, she's so much trouble."

Elsa laughed.

Another low howl. She started pacing, "That dog..."

"Died protecting Anna."

Elsa's eyes filled with shock. Kristoff sighed longsuffering, "Look... he practically bled out on the mountain. He put up quite a fight but-"

"Let me have him!" Elsa stood forward, "I will take ownership; he will live with me, eat at my table, and be taken care of."

"What?! No! Come on..."

She put her foot down, adamant, "Look, I could do with some companionship and... he's a hero. "

"...He sniffs butts."

Elsa huffed, "How can you be so flippant about this? He fought for Anna!"

"Because... that animal is suffering."

The two stared each other down. The doctor took this opportunity to exit the room, "Well, he's a fighter, but if he recovers...-"

"Recovers?" Hope crept into Elsa's voice.

"IF! It will take him a great deal of time. He seems to have gone through a lot. Seen too much of the world. I recommend-"

Elsa interrupted, "I will take him."

"But-!"

"But-!"

"Sniff, buts," She turned from them, "He's mine, I will care for him."

She went into the room, shutting the door behind her. Prince/Shadow/Hans lay quietly on the table. Elsa wrung her hands together nervously.

"Uh... hi?"

The dog's breathing was erratic. She tentatively reached out a gloved hand, careful to stay away from the wounds. She rubbed the back of his head on the left side. "My name is Elsa. And... I'm kind of alone in the world. My only friend is my sister, and she's leaving me."

A low whining sound erupted from the dog's lips. She scratched his jaw where he hadn't wrestled it sore.

"I'm glad for her, really. But, now I'm alone again, and I need someone. I know it's you."

His eyes opened.

"I know that you have a good, strong heart, so please, don't give up, don't leave me. I promise that if you live, I will take care of you forever. You'll never have to be afraid again, and you'll always have a place with me. Always."

Hans fought for his life. Over the next few hours, he was hydrated constantly. The doctor managed to stitch him up, even stating that he'd never known an animal to sit so well-behaved during an operation.

He said this to Elsa who stayed the whole time. She insisted on even seeing the uncomfortable parts; cleaning out the wounds, and applying salves to the older damaged areas.

Hans almost laughed at how much damage he'd taken in the last... month? It had been just about that long. A few days at sea, a little over a week at Sophia's, and a couple weeks with Kristoff.

"Sh, sh, sshshshsh..." Elsa hushed him, drawing her hands over his head. He melded to her touch, trying not to think about **why** he was okay with her there.

"Well, the next few days will be very telling your highness. But overall, it looks good. He's stitched up, and he's still alive."

Elsa sat down, resting Prince's head on her lap, "He's mine now," She whispered, "He's part of the family. And as such, he'll help us find Anna. You may go."

"As you wish," The doctor bowed and left.

Hans fell asleep to Elsa gently brushing his fur.


	9. Chapter 9

Hans spent about a month recovering. He was pampered, coddled, every whim catered to. And it was... boring.

He wanted fresh air and sunshine. Freedom meant more to him now than gold or attention. The staff (for whatever reason) insisted on talking to him in a baby voice.

"Who's a goodie-woodie biggie boy?! Huh? Huh?"

_I think I know the answer, but why don't you keep going on and on and on instead of, I don't know **doing your job?!**_**  
**Hans, therefore, found himself restless. _I almost wish I was back in prison. _He thought to himself as he wandered the halls.

He found a door open to a balconey and went to the sun.

_Aaaaah... that's much better, _he thought, breathing in the fresh air. It took him about half an hour to unwind from the constant 'care'. He was an animal, after all, not a baby.

Elsa found him out there, "Prince!" She exclaimed happily. He barked his joy, leaping up.

"Are you feeling better boy?"

His tongue lolled out of the side of his mouth. Immediately, he brought it back in, and under control, _keep cool man, _he thought to himself,_ what're you getting so excited over?_

Still, the blasted pink extension kept rolling out, panting. She giggled at his excitement, then covered her mouth to hide it, "Oh... how cute."

_You think I'm cute?_ The dog part was just happy to have a companion, and so was Hans.

The snow queen shut the doors to her window before sitting down wearily, throwing off her shoes.

"Un- be- lievable," she pouted, "I have spent six hours in a meeting trying to figure out where to ship our ice so that it's available _before_ it melts, but all the land routes are super-expensive. On top of that, everybody wants to know where Hans is, because **nobody** knows where he is!" She growled this out, as if they thought it was her fault they could not locate him. Even though, in a sense, it _was_ her fault he was where he was, "I bet he went on vacation. Somewhere exotic with a lot of stupid, beautiful women!"

Her face flushed as she spent the next few minutes mocking the girls who would be climbing all over him.

"I can't believe they don't see what's right in front of them," She said, petting the top of his head.

Hans laughed internally. It was kind of ironic. Still, he was kind of bored. Elsa idly conjured a snowflake, which he promptly snapped at. Shooing him away, she conjured another one, which he quickly swallowed.

"Really?"

...she smirked. The next time she created a snowflake, it started floating away, forcing him to follow it. He snapped at it, but she always kept it juuuust out of reach. It became a game to them. Then she created snowdrifts for him to jump through. The dog was extremely happy.

_Stick! Stick! Is that a stick!? No, it's chair, I want a stick, I like sticks, oh! I'm getting ear scratchies! **YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES! Oh, sweet mercy, I love you! And bacon! And ear scratchies! YEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!**_

They spent hours playing. Elsa hadn't had this much fun... ever, really. Maybe when she and Anna were young... But Prince was just so much fun, he took her mind off her problems. He had fun running after her snowflakes, so she decided to mess with him a bit.

Hans didn't even hear the snowball coming until it hit him in the back of the head. He turned, eyes wide with joking shock and betrayal as Elsa averted her eyes, putting on her best innocent look.

She met his gaze, "Who? Me?"

_Okay, I see how it is..._

He dove into a snowpile, disappearing into the hills she had conjured. Elsa kept her hands up, ready at any moment to blast him with more snow. Seconds passed.

"...Prince?"

She looked around nervously. Where had he-

"Ruff!" He exploded out of a mountain to her left.

"Wah!" The beast tackled her to the ground, covering her in slobbery kisses, "ew!"

He ignored her protests and kept licking. She started laughing.

"Ugh! You are such a bad boy! Ha ha ha!"

_Oooooh... like you wouldn't believe, my queen._

Still, in some part of his mind, he knew this wasn't quite what he wanted. The enchantresses' warning came to mind; "don't get too comfortable being a beast."

Elsa inhaled and blew frost into his mouth, freezing the saliva in-place. The image was so funny, she burst out laughing, wet tears of relief running down her eyes. When she calmed down, she focused on his eyes with a semi-serious look on her face, "Oh Prince, I wish real men were like you."

A stab of jealousy ran through him, and he realized something; _I'm in love with Elsa._

Prince ran away.


	10. Chapter 10

Prince Hans made himself scarce around the castle over the coming days. He'd so fully given into the dog persona, he'd forgotten for awhile he was human.

It was so easy, in a way. Animals didn't have to worry about guilt or shame. He could get away with so much right now. But nobody would ever really love him, not the kind of love he wanted. Hans understood the curse now; it wasn't the fur, or the fangs (hey, those come in handy!) it was the fact that he was a better beast than man.

He tried not to think about Elsa. She had long been an attractive item. He'd heard about her when he was young, rumors, whispers of a scared, fair princess who locked herself away from the world. It was kind of romantic. But as he got older, Hans came to understand that girls who lock themselves in rooms and refuse to talk to people were hazardous. Still, he became somewhat obsessed with the idea of her, just wanting to know what it was like to have everyone at arm's length, to be so totally in control. Overtime, he had realized this was an unhealthy attachment.

Soooo... he went for Anna. Which could have worked, almost. But she didn't understand him. Not even when he revealed his intentions. She was so preoccupied with her problem (albeit freezing to death can be very distracting) she couldn't see the big picture.

And he did not see it either, not at first. It took him going down to four legs to realize how little he had gained, and how far he had to go. The castle was his home now, but it made Hans realize that it wasn't the castle he wanted, or even a place to belong. He wanted love. He wanted respect.

...but he had already blown it. He had the desire to rip off his own head just to get rid of the cursed collar.

Now that the dog had become moody and unsociable again, most of the staff avoided him. Kristoff would occasionally pet him, but almost no one else would even come near the large, snapping beast.

Finally, Hans determined to leave. He could go off on his own- wander off into the mountains and just starve. At least it wouldn't be the torture of being close enough to touch the woman he loved, but not man enough to do it.

As the dog paced the front gates, a familiar scent caught his nose. Snuffing around on the ground, Hans/Shadow/Prince made his way back into the castle, up the stairs, down the hallway into the foreign affairs meeting room.

He knew the scent well; it was Gunther's. Now that he was a dog, it was less of a memory from his childhood, and more of a lifestory consisting of alcohol, violence, and dark, dank places. Also, expensive cologne.

Prince padded inside, used to people ignoring him. His brother sat next to Busby.

"So, you see, your highness, we're here about my brother. We believe he's escaped."

"Escaped?! I thought you said he's drowned?!" Elsa's worried voice hurt Hans. He would never hurt her. Well, not again.

"Which is what we thought too, but after dredging the water..."

"You found him?"

"No, we found nothing. And if I know Hans, and I do, he'll be on his way here to get revenge. He must have bribed someone."

"...do you know who?"

"We're looking at leads."

Busby's eyes were bored at the conversation. It wasn't everyday that someone escaped the island of imprisonment, but it was quite common to deal with people's concerns. At this point, though, his gaze lit on Prince, or, more accurately, his collar. His eyes went wide, and he gasped.

Gunther followed his friend's line of sight, his eyes also lit up in recognition, "It's that dog again?!"

Elsa looked from one to the other, then back again, then to Prince, "...What dog?"

Hans watched the two with guarded interest. There had to be more going on than this. Now that he thought about it, they seemed to be preoccupied with the idea that he was dead, not kidnapped.

"That's the dog that killed Hans!"

Elsa's eyes went wide, her mouth slack. A piercing pain hit Hans' heart. She would be so relieved to hear he was dead.

Gunther related the story, ending with the dog diving into the sea.

Elsa looked at Prince warily, "So... is this his dog?"

Gunther shrugged, reaching out to touch the beast. As his hand got close to Prince's neck, the dog smelled salt on his hands.

_Salt, mines, assassination... traitor!_

Hans lunged for the hand, snapping at air as his brother withdrew the appendage, "WHEW!"

Prince growled.

"Down boy," Elsa said evenly, but she smirked, "Maybe he's just got a taste for Westerguard blood. Must be why I like him so much..."

Gunther sneered, "He needs to be put down. Irrational temper, that one...!"

The queen smirked, "They keep telling me that. But, I find him quite charming. And loyal."

She scratched him under the chin.

"Does a man have to be a dog to get near to you?"

"No, but most men I've dealt with are worse than dogs. At least Prince here is honest about what he really wants."

Hans snapped at the air between the queen and her visitors.

"And, unless I miss my current guess, he wants a piece out of both of you. I would hate to be rude, so..."

They leaned forward, ready for her to dismiss her pet. This time, she outright smiled, "No, no... my dog stays, you two can apologize for intruding on his territory, or go."

They chose to retreat. Elsa laughed. Hans felt somewhat grumpy over the fact that he was still just her pet, but he could still defend her.

"Prince?"

He looked up at her, resting on his haunches.

"I need you, okay?"

He tilted his head, trying to make her understand.

"You always know how to make me feel better, don't you?"

That blasted tongue lolled out.

"...good boy...!"

Hans thought sadly to himself, _I don't think I really am...!_


	11. Chapter 11

Queen Elsa of Arrendale sat quietly in her room, shivering. It was terribly ironic that the one person who was immune to extreme freeze was trembling. It had nothing to do with the temperature, and everything to do with that morning's meeting.

_Hans is free._

No matter what she did to go to sleep; counting sheep, drinking warm milk, doing paperwork, that phrase just kept on repeating in her head.

_Hans is free. __Hans is free. __Hans is free. __Hans is free. __Hans is free. __Hans is free. __Hans is free. __Hans is free. __Hans is free. __Hans is free. __Hans is free. __Hans is free. __Hans is free. __Hans is free. __Hans is free. __Hans is free. Hans is free. Hans is free._

It was irrational of her to sit in her bed, exhausted, and think about it, yet here she was, quivering like a little girl worried about the monster in her closet. (And she hadn't even worried about monsters in the closet when she was young.)

Chances were that Hans was dead in some ill-fated attempt to escape prison. And, even if he was alive, it would be the height of arrogance for him to return to Arrendale; a place where everyone but small children would recognize him on sight, and attack. And there was always a chance this whole thing was just a misunderstanding.

But Elsa knew in her heart Hans was coming for her.

Every gust of wind, every squeak of wood was him getting closer and closer, and closer.

_Hans is coming, __Hans is coming, __Hans is coming, __Hans is coming, __Hans is coming, __Hans is coming, __Hans is coming__._

Now that she actually had to deal with the idea that he may be returning, Elsa found herself rating her fears, which, in turn, kept her awake. Obviously she was afraid of losing control again, or of dying, or losing her friends. But Hans, in a way, represented _all_ of these things.

He was smart, tenacious and vindictive. If he were on her side, she wouldn't have anything to fear. For a second, she allowed the fantasy that maybe he would be reasonable, and she could talk to him. Then the queen dismissed this notion; Hans was angry, and he was coming.

The door to her bedroom creaked open. A form headed right to her bed. Elsa had turned the temperature way, way down in the room. Even the maids had fled when it started snowing.

The young queen waited until the soft crunch of snow was almost to her bed before bolted up, arms in defense.

"**NOOOO!**" She was breathing heavily.

...nothing happened. Elsa peered through her arms to find Prince looking befuddled at her. He let out a whine.

"Oh... sorry boy. I thought you were that evil Hans...!"

...

He turned to leave. She bit her lip, "...wait!"

He stopped.

She felt like a little girl asking for help. But... she needed it, "Prince?"

He responded to his name turning his head to her.

"Could you... stay?" She asked in a small voice. For a second, he stood there, warm breath flying into the snow. Then he turned back to her bed, and curled up at the foot. She listened for the steady breathing of a sleeper.

"...Prince?" Two golden eyes popped up at the edge of her bed.

"Um... could you...?" She rolled her eyes, feeling silly for talking to a dog, "Here boy!" She patted the bed. He looked at her quizzickly.

She patted a space on the queen-sized (a.n. Oooooh! Is that where it comes from?) bed.

"...please?"

The dog huffed (irritably? she wondered) before hopping up beside her. She ran her cold fingers through his warm fur. It was so soft and comforting. She felt much better with him nearby.

Elsa stayed up, talking through her fears with the dog. He listened intently, making her desire (more than ever) that he were a real man who would say something to make her feel better.

Her fingers found the lock on his collar. Who would take such a beautiful beast, dress him so nicely, then turn him evil?

Hans.

She was angry now. He didn't just hurt her family, he hurt her Prince. If it wasn't for him, this beautiful dog would have had a wonderful life in a palace, loved and adored. Instead he had been shot, and beat up. Plus, if the report was right, booted out a window and half-drowned before landing in an abused home.

It was getting late, so she rolled onto the side nearest Prince, and shut her eyes. Seeing she was tense, Hans positioned himself protectively between her and the more open parts of the room.

"You know..." Elsa said as she nodded off to sleep, "I would give anything to know what you're thinking right now."

_And I,_ thought Hans _would give anything for you. _

He curled his tail angrily. People were using him to hurt her. This, he vowed, would not be allowed.

A.N. There, happy? Helsa! Also, I am almost done with the sequel, which is so full of unhappiness that I may just redo the whole thing! :/ please r and r, it makes me all warm on the inside!


	12. Chapter 12

Hans slept as soundly as possible, given the situation. Given his experience at Kristoff's cottage, however, he had serious doubts about actually sleeping through the night.

It was about four a.m. when he awoke and found a knife through a note reading, 'the salt mines, tonight, come alone' piercing the door. He immediately rose, growling.

It didn't make sense to him, really. How could anyone get past him? Sound, was one thing. He'd been roused by something minutes ago. But smell? Who would he be so comfortable with that...?

Elsa awoke a second or two after him, one hand clutched over her chest, the other painfully pulling on his nape.

Her breathing eased when she saw no one in the room, but hitched again when she saw the note.

"Nooo... Anna!" Attached to the note was one lock of red hair. Hans growled.

Elsa read it through once, twice, three times, each time letting her emotions run across her face; fear, shock, anger, hurt, loneliness. The temperature in the room plummeted. Not that Hans cared. One of the advantages to being a dog was cool resistance. The snowy temperature was actually more comfortable to him than a warm heat.

Finally, the queen collapsed, crying. Prince did his best to cushion her fall, but without hands, she still crumpled.

_If I were a man..._ Hans cursed, _I'd be able to hold you..._

Elsa pulled her dog close and cried into his fur for a few minutes. Then she composed herself, and said, "Prince, I'm going out. You be a good boy and stay," She put her hand to his nose in the 'stay' position, "Staaaay."

She left. Hans/Prince let out a snort. _Good boy? Lady, you don't know me that well at all!_ He smirked to himself. Then he opened the door, and took off on a separate rescue mission.


	13. Chapter 13

Prince Hans 'Shadow' Westerguard of the Southern Isles found himself licking the salt off the ground. Yes, it was gross, but occasionally he had to let the dog-brain win a round to keep it occupied.

He had wandered to the salt mines in an effort to get clues to the plan. All he could see was a canal leading from the fjord to the mines themselves. It seemed stupid and pointless. Why flood the mines? If anything, Elsa was **more** powerful with water around!

Hans laughed internally. The dog was also happy to taste the salt rolling around on his tongue. _Speaking of which,_ Hans said to himself. The dog ambled over to the fjord for fresh water. Shadow/Prince lapped it up. The human part of the brain sat in silence, replaying his time with Elsa- her crying when he tried to kill her, and her crying when she found the note...

_Wait..._

Hans lifted the dog's head in thought. Tears were salt-water (of a sort) and... they didn't freeze. Calling to mind his experience on the ocean, Hans realized something; saltwater didn't freeze. Elsa couldn't freeze the water from the fjord if it was mixed with salt. If she couldn't freeze it, she was powerless... and would drown.

**_Noooooo!_**

He had to save Elsa. Anna was second priority. Well, third, after Sophia. Maybe fourth if Kristoff was in danger.

Kristoff...

He could help! Hans knew where Anna was. And, unlike Elsa, he had no objection to being helped. The prince took off at a run for the cottage, barking as loud as he could.

"Shadow!" Sophia cried. He unfortunately had to ignore her.

He was about halfway to the cottage when he ran into a familiar-looking sled pulled by a familiar-looking reindeer.

_Sven!_

Even though the two had always fought, the dog could not be more delighted than to see the large deer. Kristoff peered out from the sled watching the dog bark.

"What is it boy? Is Anna stuck down a well?"

Hans sighed, then took off for the mines. He leapt into the canal and barely squirmed into the hole.

Elsa or Anna? Obviously, his heart screamed for Elsa, but he definitely owed Anna. He listened carefully, sniffing her out. Eventually, he came across her stuck in a trap. She was looking back, both dehydrated, and tired.

"RUFF!"

Anna's eyes light up in recognition, "...Shadow? Shadow!"

Her arms flew around him. She clutched the collar, "Ouch! This must be so uncomfortable for you...!" _Click._

_Don't get too used to me being nice, princess, I'm just here until Kristoff can find you._

He didn't have to wait too long before Kristoff broke into the tunnel using his ice pick.

"Anna! My love!" They embraced warmly. Anna rested her head against her boyfriend. Hans watched with a small degree of envy. Kristoff and Anna had something he would never have. Once he saw Anna scramble to safety, he finally got to look for who he came here for;

_Elsa! Elsa!_

He barked as loud as he could, sending echoes around the cave. He snuffled his heart out, finally finding her in a mud puddle.

"What...?" She was confused. Burst after burst of blue light hit the water, "It's not freezing," she kept murmuring over and over again in a worried voice.

Hans ran up and licked her face in joy.

"...Prince, but... what're you doing here?"

He barked again. _What, like I'm going to start talking now? Come on, who ever heard of, or from, a talking dog?! Let's get out of here!_

He grabbed the hem of her dress and started pulling her back the way he came. She was talking- something about finding her sister and guilt and a bunch of other stuff he ignored because _he was trying to save her life!_

Finally, they spotted the way out, illuminated by a single beam of light. Hans slowed his trot, relieved it was almost over. But his relief was premature. Within seconds of them finding the way out, water burst down the tunnel.


	14. Chapter 14

Shadow/Hans screamed in frustration as the wave of water hit him. He had been so close to getting her free!

The blast of water sent him hurtling away into the dark depths of the cavern. But he had come too far to give up now; he'd swum forever coming here, gripped onto life when he'd been shot, and now he positively _refused_ to give up when the **love of his life** was on the line!

...he also refused to admit he was deeply in love with a woman who hated his guts. What? He's a man trapped in a dog's body, he should be allowed a certain amount of self-denial!

(a.n. sorry, ranting. Back to the story.)

Hans spun in the air/water. His jaw snapped as gently as he could to Esla's left leg, pulling her back.

_No! You're living, so help me!_

The prince dove under the surface, all four paws digging into the soft silt. He pawed through it, determinedly marching back to the hole. A backlash hit him, sent him tumbling away from her. He swore vehemently. It meant nothing to him to get out alive if Elsa wasn't there too.

...a soft hand grabbed his collar. Through the murky half-frozen water Hans could see Elsa grasping his collar, putting her faith in him to lead her to safety.

It touched his heart, that trust. He had done nothing to deserve it, really. Of everyone on the planet, he had been the one to do the **most** to lose it. Nevertheless, the man/beast trudged through the swirling mud back towards the hole. Or, at least, where the hole was. It would take a miracle for him to get there...

Fortunately, a small light illuminated the edge of the exit. Hans could practically _feel_ the annoyance of the sorceress for having to help him _again_. That was fine, he could eat more humble pie if it meant getting Elsa free.

He marched, feeling the blackness of death fading in again. It felt like an old friend. Finally, he reached the hole.

_Freeeee...!_

...but it collapsed on him

_NO!_

Hans wiggled as much as he could, but was trapped. The gentle hand on his collar disappeared. He was going to die a failure after all...

Until that hand reappeared behind him, pushing him free. Shadow/Hans exploded into the air, gasping for breath.

_Elsa! Elsa!_

He turned back towards the hole, losing all sense of calm. He bit hard into her right arm, pulling the queen out behind him. But it was for naught. He had been freed because he could fit out, and had help. But Elsa...

Through the water, he watched her life fading away, like a setting sun. No thoughts came to his mind, not even denial. Her eyes... told him 'goodbye' in a language he didn't know he understood.

Hans swallowed at her last act of mercy. Her hand stroked the back of his head, then went to the collar that enslaved him.

Then she set him free.

Agony ripped through his body. Her fingers fell away as his bones crunched, his muscles squelched, and his organs shifted.

"Raaaghoooowwwwnnnooooooo NOO!" Hans grabbed her fingers, forearms half-man, half-beast, "NOOOO!"  
Those weak fingers grabbed his out of reflex.

"NO!"

Hans tugged as hard as he could, still in pain from the metamorphosis. "It can't end like this."

Her eyes were closing, the pulse in her fingers getting weaker...

Hans gasped for breath, now fully human. He leaned down to her.

Taking a lungful, he pressed his lips against hers.

_C'mon, Elsa, you're a smart girl, figure it out!_

He sealed her mouth with his, breathing into her as powerfully as possible. Then he pulled out, took another puff, and went back in.

She coughed.

"Yeeeees!"

Again and again, he fed her dying body just enough air to keep her alive. The whole time he was digging her out. By the time he'd freed her, she wasn't moving any more.

"NO!"

Hans decided in that moment that either love, or screaming 'no' is a good way to keep going. And since he was in denial to the former, the latter would have to suffice. He took another full breath, and pumped it forcefully into her lungs. Elsa's chest inflated, and she jerked up, coughing out a lungful of muddy ice water.

"...yes. Thank you. Thank you..." She rolled on her stomach and groaned. Her eyes were shutting, but she was breathing steadily. Hans took a second, just for himself, to appreciate the sight before him; Elsa, lying restful, safe and sound. And stunningly beautiful.

...

"Well done," Commented the enchantress. Hans shrugged.

"Thanks?"

"...you're welcome."

He sighed, "I was... I don't even know..."  
Thankfully, she held up a hand, "I know."

He sighed again, "I just..."

She stood silently for a second. The enchantress hated these stories; the hero does _everything_ right and _still_ doesn't get the girl. The world was so unfair.

"I see you've bared your soul," She giggled.

"Ahem," He said, now aware that he was naked, "Could you...?"

She shrugged, once more donning him in his princely garb.

"I'm not... popular... with, well, anyone. Could you go get someone to help her?"

"Sure," the enchantress turned, but stopped, "What will you do next?"

"I have one more errand to run."

"Oh?"

"Time to be Prince Charming."


	15. Chapter Fifteen The Finale

Sophia trembled in terror under the rage of her step-father. Apparently the 'out-of-towners' canceled their plans, and _nobody_ was getting paid. Therefore it was all _her_ fault, and she had to be punished. Her right eye was already black. She'd been called some horrible, unspeakable things.

"...and another thing, you women," his eyes got distant for a second, and dangerous, "I guess you are a woman, aren't you? Close enough...!" His voice trailed off into a direction any adult would recognize as inappropriate.

"Stop, fiend!"

Sophia gasped as a picture right out of a storybook appeared; a handsome prince, full astride a white horse, had drawn his sword.

"Unhand that young maiden!" Hans leapt to the ground, keeping his sword on the man, "I am his highness Prince Hans Westerguard of the Southern Isles, and I promise you swift justice if you so harm a hair on that innocent young lady's head!"

The old sea captain knew exactly who he was dealing with, and, therefore, felt a good amount of fear. He retreated back into his house.

"Begone!" Hans played it up. He then helped Sophia to her feet, telling her everything a young girl _should_ hear from her father, then put her onto his horse.

"You'll be safe now, young lady. No harm shall ever come to you whilst I draw living breath. Remember this always; as long as vile men steal away love, so shall there be righteous men, beating back the darkness, and bringing the fair folk into the light!" On cue, his horse whinnied and bucked upward, "We must away to the castle!" He had no idea why he was using such old-timey speech. Still, he felt good doing some real good.

Meanwhile, Elsa was in a meeting to determine exactly what should be done about Hans. Warden Busby was demanding money to keep up the patrols. But her mind was elsewhere; on a black and white dog with brown eyes...

"The problem is that there's no way to find him. He could be anywhere!"

The clip-clop of horse's hooves interrupted the meeting between Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Gunther. Busby was there as well, gasping at the sight. Never had a prisoner rode into the castle; the very place all his enemies were.

Hans bent low and whispered to Sophia, "Now, remember what I told you; talk to Anna, she'll take care of you, I'm sure of it."

He then put her down and galloped up to the queen. Once Anna had clutched Sophia into her robes protectively, Hans leapt down, and made a proclamation.

"HA! I have surprised you! Exactly as my plan dictated!"

For an awkward second, everyone froze.

Hans smirked then pulled his sword. Elsa's face drew even paler in fear.

Then he dropped his sword, "I surrender!"

The collective gasp made him roll his eyes. Elsa looked at Hans, then his sword, then to Sophia, then to Warden Busby.

"...why?"

Hans blinked sadly. It was fun to surprise everyone, but really... he wanted to stay here, with her, but he knew where he was going. "Because... I know where I belong now; prison."

The queen looked at him curiously, clutching his collar in her right hand. She reached out with her left and accepted his surrender.

"So... you give up?"

"Yes."

"I don't believe you. Guards!"

Hans sighed. Why did she have to make this so hard?! Immediately, a group of soldiers surrounded him.

"Really?"

"Yes, really," She narrowed her eyes, "What's the plan, Hans? Where's the trick."

"Me," He gasped self-righteously, "Trick?"

They stood there in silence for a moment, staring into each other's eyes. Then everyone turned to see Prince Gunther inching his way towards the exit.

"Wait," He said, "There's no trick?"

"None?"

"No double-cross?"

Hans sighed, "_No_, now can we get on with this or...?"

"You haven't poisoned everyone in this room, or have a dagger, or..."

"NO!" Hans yelled, "I surrender, okay? Isn't it your job to throw me in a cell or what?!"

Busby cleared his throat, "I think... we would all feel_ better_ I suppose is the term, if we knew what your plan was."

Hans stared in disbelief, "Is it so hard to believe that I'm giving up?"

"Yes," The group chorused.

"FINE!" He turned to the queen, "I'm here to...usurp you."

Elsa drew her clenched fists to her chest. He had a flashback of when he'd slept with her, protecting her from any threat. He hated that she felt threatened by him.

"Goodbye, my queen," he whispered. Elsa clutched his sword.

"...aren't you going to attack me?"

Hans just fell to his knees, "Just... take me away. I beg you."

He was lead away in chains. Gunther threatened to kill him, and Busby was interested in the tales of his escape, but Hans stayed silent.

They, therefore, left the young prince alone in his cell at the bottom of a ship.

Right before they were about to shove off, Hans heard the light footsteps of the sorceress. Of course she would have some sort of last-minute speech to deliver about humility or something. He prepared a sarcastic remark in preparation.

"You know, I'm not sure-"

He was cut off by the sight of a beautiful young queen.

"Elsa..."

The two just stared at each other for a moment. She broke the silence, "Umm..." She clenched her eyes shut, looking for something he couldn't understand. She opened them, "I was wondering if I could ask you a question."

Closing his mouth, he nodded once. Hans stayed as still as possible so as not to frighten her. Elsa held up the cursed collar.

"I was wondering..."

His eyes lit up with recognition, "Shadow is gone. I'm sorry."

She stepped back, inhaling sharply. He watched her keep her emotions in check.

"Oh."

They stood for a moment.

"I... suppose this is yours then." She offered him the collar. He stepped away, not wanting to repeat the experience.

"NO, NO!" He cleared his throat, "He was yours."

Her expression turned to confusion.  
"I assure you, my queen, Prince was always yours."

She shed a single tear before turning, and heading back up the steps. Hans watched her go with a sad look on his face. In the corner of the room was a chessboard. He picked up the white queen, staring for it for a moment, before letting the moment pass. He set her back down where she belonged.

Busby approached the cell, confused by the whole confrontation. The last couple of months had **not** gone according to plan; Gunther had this elaborate plan to rid himself of Hans and kill the women who shamed the Westerguard name. Now...? What was left?

"Another game?" Busby ventured.

Hans allowed himself a small smile, "Of course... but I'll be black this time."

Busby's eyebrows raised, "Change of heart?"

"No... but sometimes I should give others what they want," Hans said. The two sat and played.

"You won't be get getting what you want; this queen," He said, tapping the white figure.

Hans smirked, "Well... we'll just have to see about that, won't we?"

The end.


	16. Deleted Scene: Sweet Dreams

Elsa sat quietly in her study, sipping tea. Anna knocked on the door.

"Come in."

The sisters tried to spend as much time together. It was much more difficult now that they had a permanent guest.

"How's Sophia?"

Anna rudely kicked off her shoes, groaning out, "Ugh! A handful," then she smiled wistfully, "I love her so much."

Elsa smiled too, "She's so..."

"Alive!"

"Yes!"

They laughed together for the first time in weeks. All the dread of _him_ faded into distant memory at the angel brought into their lives.

"What were you doing this afternoon that you were making so much noise?"

"Playing hide and go smash."

Elsa's eyes narrowed at the sound of the word 'smash'. She would have to check with the royal keepers to see what might be broken.

"Lovely, I'm so glad you're teaching her to be lady-like."

"What where you dong this afternoon that you made so much noise?"

"Uh... nothing," Elsa tucked a strand behind her ear.

"You were making very unlady-like noises."

"I wasn't the only one."

"What do you mean by that, Anna?"

"I heard you groaning.

"If you must know," Elsa said, somewhat indignantly, "I was resting."

"What were you resting from that you were moaning like that?"

Elsa huffed, "I was asleep."

"Did you have nice dreams?" Anna was somewhat bored with the current conversation until she noticed Elsa stayed silent.

"So, how is Sophia doing?"

"She's doing a good job of not distracting me from my question; what were you dreaming about?"

Elsa gasped, "Uh..." She decided on sipping her tea instead.

Anna's eyes lit up, and she perkily bounced up, "Or should I ask, _who_ were you dreaming about?"

Elsa choked. Anna giggled happily. She had hit the mark.

"Weeeeell...?" She wheedled.

"I don't remember..."

"You were moaning! Not very lady-like! I was almost embarrassed to have Sophia in the room!"

Elsa sighed. She knew where this was going, "Fine."

Anna wiggled happily in her seat, spilling droplets of her tea into the cushion, much to Elsa's dismay.

"WELL?!"

Elsa sighed, rising, "I was... on the beach, chained to the salt mines, the ground around me was unstable, crumbling," Her eyes shut in sorrow, "I couldn't control anything. And then," She conjured up the memory as strongly as she could, "**He** appeared. I didn't see him, he came up behind me, but I could feel him," Anna coughed as she choked on her tea. Elsa didn't register her sister's discomfort, "He wanted me badly. Like a hurricane. A force of nature."

There was a pause here before Elsa continued, "I... never saw him. But he was so strong, so," She searched for a word in vain, "Manly? He knew what he wanted, and I knew exactly what he wanted."

"And what did he want?" Anna licked her lips.

"Uh..." Elsa shut her mouth tightly.

Anna growled in frustration, "Come on! Just tell me!"

"Well, there's not much to tell, really."

Anna huffed, "Come on; all guys have dreams, it's not usual for them to involve-!"

"Kissing!" Elsa snapped, defending her dream-self, "He just kissed me." She had already heard too much from Anna about what 'men really do' already.

"Oh..." Anna leaned back, somewhat disappointed. She then brightened again, "What kind?"

"Ooooh..." Elsa leaned back, relaxing, "it was... so amazing. His eyes glowed and he said something I couldn't hear. His name, I think," She whispered, "..."

"Mhm!" Anna said, "And then what happened?"

"Well, I closed my eyes, he spun me around and-!" She stopped talking, and the excitement drained from her voice, "...I sound silly, don't I?"

Anna whined in disappointment, "Oh come on! I tell you everything about me and Kristoff!"

"Completely different," Elsa huffed, adding under her breath, "And believe me, I wish sometimes you didn't..."

Anna was unfazed, "Sooo... did it go a little like this?" She stood, walking like a man, chest out (at least trying to be manly) and arms swinging, "Elsa..."

"Lower."

Anna turned to her sister who cleared her throat, speaking up.

"His voice was much lower than that, and growly, he was like," she muttered, "An animal."

Anna's eyebrow quirked, but she went back to her impression, "Elsa, I... love you so much. I feel drawn to you," She then drew herself inward, impersonating her sister by planting her feet narrowly and clasping her hands over her chest, "But... I'm a queen and you're an animal!"

Elsa sighed. Anna's impressions continued, this time, she was the dream guy again. Anna also decided to talk directly to her sister.

"My lady... we're meant to be together," She put a rough hand on her sister's neck, "I... can barely help how drawn I am to you..." she said in a growly voice. The princess then changed gears becoming breathless-Elsa again, "Oh... but I can't!" She spun laying across her sister's lap, "I'm... too pure! And you're just a grizzled brutish man! I can't," Anna swiveled back, "I must!" "No!" "YES!" "I could never!" "You must always!" "I love you!" "Come here, woman!" "Take me now!"

She then made loud disgusting sounds. Elsa, who decided to tune out her sister's act, placed her tea cup back in the saucer and left that on her sister's stomach. Looking up, she and Anna caught sight of Kai staring at them, wide-eyed.

Anna blinked at Kai. Kai blinked at Elsa, who then blinked awkwardly at Anna who blinked awkwardly back. The servant then walked away.

Great! Along with tea spills, playing hide-and-go-crash, Elsa now had to deal with the staff complaining about _incest_ in the castle.

"Anna! What will the people say!"

"Psh! It makes us sound more exciting. Besides, I'm sure they're tons of people who thought that about us before now. I mean, I said I loved you in front of a crowd. And you know how people'll take that however they please!" She smirked.

Elsa pushed her sister off, "Go play."

"Are you going to take a nap or something?"

Elsa sighed, "...I wish."

Anna laughed, "Sweet dreams."


	17. Trailer

The noise of the crowd circling the two combatants drowned out the pained cries of the victim.

"They'll kill him," Said Busby.

"...not yet..." Answered Gunther, "We need Hans... one more time..."

"Elsa, is something wrong?"

"No, Anna, I'm just worried."

"I should have known Hans would betray me," said a shadowy figure.

"...what will you do?"

The shadowy figure smiled, "He's the only thing standing between us and the princess. So, we'll kill him.'

A.N. "Blacksails Hans, coming as soon as I get a request for it."


	18. Deleted Scene Sophia's New Home

Anna's heart had just returned to beating normally when Hans was put in chains. Silently she was praying for the safety of everyone around her. Once he was out of sight, she let out a sigh of relief.

Small, soft hands gipped her tightly.

"Princess Anna?"

The princess looked down, and her heart broke; she was too small. A girl like Sophia should have been blossoming by this age. Even Anna's less-than-ideal childhood was heaven compared to what this small child had been through.

"Hello, what's your name?"

The child smiled as brightly as possible, carrying with it all the hopes and dreams small children keep in their faces, "My name's Sophia, and it's greeeeat to meet you!"

Anna chuckled. The little girl fawned, explaining that she was a huge fan, and had wanted to meet her heroes for a long time now. Kristoff's hand clutched painfully on the princess' shoulder when he saw the bruises up her arms and on the back of her neck. This poor angel had been abused worse than Shadow.

"My name is Anna, and it's great to meet you," Anna smiled, but it was shallow, "Can I ask you a question?"

Sophia bounced happily, unable to contain her enthusiasm.

"What happened to your arm?"

Suddenly, the young girl stopped bouncing and got real, real quiet. She hugged herself, trying to cover the bruises, hung her head and backed away slowly. She looked so scared.  
"Wait!" Anna reached out, "Can't we be friends?"

"Friends?" The girl said, "I don't... really have any... 'cept maybe Shadow, but he's gone..."

"Well, now you have one."

"Two," Interrupted Kristoff.

Sophia smiled shyly, "Really?"

Anna knotted her eyebrows together, "We have a _very_ strict policy about honesty here, Sophia. If was say we're your friends, we mean it!"

"Yaaaay! I have friends, and this time, they're not furry!"

"Hey!" Boomed Kristoff loud enough to knock Sophia comically off her feet, "What's wrong with a little fur!?"

Anna rolled her eyes, but still helped the little girl back up. She was so... spirited!

"I wish Shadow were here," Sophia looked around, "Hey! Aren't you the guy who bought him?"

Anna, Elsa and Sophia all turned on Kristoff.

He said, "Uuuuuuh... Anna was the one who was watching him!" He pointed an accusatory finger at her.

Sophia's doe eyes turned on full-blast.

"Don't look at me; Kristoff gave him to Elsa!"

All eyes turned to the queen who took this moment to hiss 'traitors' angrily under her breath while composing herself.

"Prince... Shadow... was a great dog. And my best friend. I miss him very much."

"I miss him too."

"So do you have a mom or dad?" Asked Kristoff. Sophia started closing herself off again. She was terrified of going back to the shack.

Elsa looked around, "There's... room here. If you'd like to stay."

"Really?"

"We're all honest here, Sophia."

The young girl bit her lip nervously, "I want to stay!"

The three cheered, crowding around her. Each one felt a strong protectiveness overcome them. Anna saw an abused girl who was with Hans. Elsa saw another little sister. We can assume that Kristoff thought she resembled a young hoofed mammal, and that counts for something.

Sophia got a hug from Kristoff and Anna together, but she went quiet around Elsa.

"I want you to have this." She said, pulling a small silver ring from her sock, "It was my mother's."

Elsa froze. Nobody had ever trusted her this much, "Sophia... that's too much, I can't."

Sophia shook her head sadly, like the queen didn't understand, "My mom promised that someday he would come for me. Well, he did. I want you to know someday someone will come for you, too."

Elsa smiled and took the ring, "I don't need anybody but those around me right now."

...

Hans was already on the ship, away from the love-fest, but he could feel, in his heart, that Sophia would be okay.


End file.
